Cabinet’s U-turn on land acquisition
Chandigarh, November 26
It seems the Punjab Council of Ministers has negated its own policy on land acquisition announced last week. During the last meeting held on November 17 the new policy was okayed and it promised market rate for lands acquired from farmers.

100 jobless youths held
Patiala, November 26
Nearly 100 youths, including 36 girls, who are trained passed the DP.Ed, BP. Ed and MP.Ed from institutes of Punjab were arrested by the police this morning.

Chipko Movement to save 155-year-old building, trees
Amritsar, November 26
Heritage lovers have decided to launch a movement against the demolition of 155 year old ‘Saragarhi Memorial Government Senior Secondary School’, and environmentalists to continue first ever ‘Chipko Movement’, to save more than two century old trees in the school premises .

POLITICS

Vikas Yatra has ‘united’ Cong
Hoshiarpur, October 26
The Vikas Yatra of Mr Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, has united the Congress leaders and mobilised party workers for the Assembly elections. Mr Jagmohan Singh Kang, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Tourism, Punjab, stated this to media persons here yesterday.

Defeat Cong, Akali-BJP combine: CPM
Amritsar, November 26
Secretary of the Punjab CPM, Mangat Ram Pasla today said in the coming elections, they would not join hands with the Harkishen Singh Surjeet group as they were supporting the Congress. He said if the Surjeet group stopped support to the Congress, an alliance could be expected.

BJP, SAD to hold joint rally in Moga
Chandigarh, November 26
Long-standing alliance partners, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party, will put up a united face and will be holding a joint rally at Moga on December 8. In the past two weeks the BJP had had held independent rallies in the Malwa region which was not appreciated within the SAD.

Expelled SAD leader spills beans
Amritsar, November 26
Leader of the SAD Gurwinder Singh Shampura, who was expelled from the party for the next six years for anti-party activities soon after the elections to the SGPC, has alleged that Mr Parkash Singh Badal used the “Guru Ki Goluk”, (committee funds) to promote his personal and political interests.

Badal promises sops for poor
Malerkotla, November 26
Mr Parkash Singh Badal, former Chief Minister, said here today that a fund of Rs 500 crore would be set up for providing better health services to the poor. Mr Badal was here to attend a rally organised by the state Bajigar Sewa Dal near the ITI on the Nabha road.

Mann for resolution on Arunachal
Amritsar, November 26
The BJP’s demand for a resolution in Parliament declaring Arunachal Pradesh an integral part of the country has got support from unexpected quarters. Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), said here today that such a resolution must be passed.

COMMUNITY

PSHRC seeks report on Muslim youth’s killing
Bathinda, November 26
The Punjab State Human Rights Commission has asked the ADGP (Intelligence), Punjab, to submit his report on the killing of a Muslim youth, Nameem Khan, by the members of the Special Task Force near Giana village on the intervening night of September 20-21 before January 30 next year.

Project becomes bone of contention
Ferozepore, November 26
The local Akali and Congress leaders have locked horns over the laying of foundation stone for the project to widen a 16.32-km road stretch from Mudki to Mishriwala. Mr Harpreet Brar, Executive Engineer, Punjab Mandi Board, said an estimated Rs 6.22 crore would be spent on widening the road, for which funds had been provided under the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojna.

‘Nightingale of Punjab’ remembered
Chandigarh, November 25
The larger-than-life image of peerless Punjabi singer Surinder Kaur was all pervasive at the Punjab Kala Bhavan here today, as an assemblage of her admirers paid rich tributes to the legend to commemorate her 77th birth anniversary.

COURTS

3 get 10-yr jail
Moga, November 26
A court here has sentenced three persons from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh to 10 years’ imprisonment each for trade in poppy.

Lok adalat
Nabha, November 26
Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate cum Chairman Sub Divisional Legal Services Authority Hardeep Singh Grewal on Saturday organised lok adalat in Nabha and settled 40 out of 50 cases presented before it.

CRIME

Dalit raped
Abohar, November 26
Rape of a dalit woman of Sampat colony of Sriganganagar area was confirmed officially today morning. Two of them have been identified. A case has been registered, circle officer Nazam Ali Charan said.

Case registered after two years
Moga, November 26
The police here took two years to register a case of theft in a warehouse in Ajitwal village, where wheat bags worth Rs 1 lakh had been stolen in November 2004. The police was reluctant to register a case.

House robbed
Hoshiarpur, November 26
At least six persons armed with swords and rods entered the house of a cop Gobind Singh at Neel Kanth Mohalla Nai Abadi, near Nalioan on Friday morning and attacked him, his wife Suman Kumari, father Pritam Singh, mother Satiya Devi and son Hardip Singh (11).